Fever dream
by archeress of silverbow
Summary: What one Peredhel forsees when ill, the other must keep his promise to prevent, for all will fall if he does not. entered in the Teitho Challenge "Dreams"


**Entry in the Teitho contest _Dreams. _Enjoy.**

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><p><em>An elleth, dressed in flowing white silk. She stood in a glade with a mortal man, their gazes locked, love shining deeply in their eyes.<em>

"_I would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone."_

_Lúthien_? No, the land they were in was not Doriath… it seemed more like a garden, for he could see elaborate housing just beyond the trees. Some part of his brain named the girl _Undómiel_; Evenstar. Then he twisted to look at the man she spoke to. Had he been solid rather than ethereal his gasp surely would have shattered the moment… this man was his kin. The eyes and face; it could have been Vardamir standing here in the garden.

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><p>The scene blurred and he was overwhelmed by a whirl of sound and images, flashing through his brain faster than arrow flight;<p>

_A male voice; deep, kind, strong "He is not coming back, Arwen. Why do you linger here when there is no hope?"_

_The elleth; leaving the house of gardens, looking back in sadness… riding numbly to the coast and the waiting swan ship._

His heart tore as he saw her standing at the stern as the ship departed, tears streaming down her face in grief.

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><p>"<em>What has happened to Arwen?" the man from the garden stood facing an elf in a tent. <em>

He looked closer and frowned, Elrond? Grown so tall and so cold.

_The voice from his twin was blank of emotion "She has taken the ship to Valinor." The older Elrond sighed and moved forward as the other man threw back his head in anger "It was for the best Estel, she would have suffered here, in this world."_

_Estel's voice was clipped as he answered, jerking the comforting hand away "Do not call me that again… I am no longer the little child you took in as foster son, and apparently promises made to me in that guise no longer stand either." Estel swung around and walked out of the tent, calling back over his shoulder "Farewell Elrond of Rivendell, we will not meet again."_

Ethereal as he was he longed to reach out to his twin, but as he attempted to do so the scene was swept away once more.

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><p>More flashes of images; <em>a battle, Estel charging in reckless of his own life, a light close to madness in his eyes. The flash of a black sword, someone else's scream; 'ARAGORN!' <em>For a second he stood, looking down at his kinsman as the light faded from the brown eyes. _Then a cry ripped through the very substance of the earth. _

_Nooooooooooo!_

It didn't come from any present in this vision, in his mind's eye he saw Arwen standing at an east-facing window, her mouth open as she screamed her loss. Then she collapsed, her face paling and chilling before she even hit the floor.

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><p>And he screamed now as he saw Morgoth's creatures slaughter the army, march on cities and raze them to the ground. The house of his first vision was defiled in blood, intricate wooden chairs and shelves of books thrown into an inferno. Death, blood, so much…too much…<p>

"Has to be a way, must be a way, Stop, STOP!" he cried out as the darkness enveloped him, cutting him off from the visions

"_Elros…Elros" _

He turned blindly to the voice, pleading with it "Help them, save them, protect them…"

"_Come back, Elros"_

He shook his head "No, I have to help them, they need reinforcements." Hands gripped his shoulders, towing him away. He fought, struggling to return and fight

"_Elros, please…"_ the voice begged "_Come back to me, I can't loose you, you must come back."_

A second voice spoke _"He is not coming back, why do you linger, Peredhel? I cannot loose both of you."_

The phraseology dug in his heart and he gave up the fight "I come"

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><p>Slowly, as though floating through water, a physical feeling of embodiment returned. He lay on a feather bed, pillows under his head and a blanket half way up his chest. The voices continued, though he now heard them through his ears rather than in his mind.<p>

"I've never known anyone to resist in that way, never." A sigh "If it wasn't for the ghost of our twin-bond I would not have been able to bring him home at all." The speaker sounded exhausted.

His voice came out in a croak when he opened his mouth "Elrond?" Opening his eyes a small amount he discerned a figure leaning over him.

"Welcome back, _Herumacil_" His twin's voice was gentle and warm, the hand on his forehead soft and comforting

"What ha-happened?" He managed.

Elrond frowned down at him "you were cut by a rusty sword. It caused infection and you've had a bad fever." The dark eyes became sad "You wouldn't come back Elros, you fought me."

"Had to help" He struggled to sit up, his twin needed to know…

Elrond pushed him down again "Rest, you are still very weak."

He shook his head in defiance, rasping out words "Need to tell you…" a coughing fit knocked the breath out of him and he fought for more.

His twin sat on the edge of the bed "What, Elros? What did you see in the fever?"

"There will be a woman, called Evenstar… Elrond you will make a promise about her." He drew breath "This promise will be to a man, a Firion… a Dúnadan. He will be called Estel, or Aragorn." He pushed himself off the pillows, desperate to emphasise the importance of this next point "What it is I don't know, but you must keep it whatever the cost. The Evenstar must not sail to Valinor…" He dropped his head in grief "If she does, Arda will fall to the Shadow, all will come to darkness, the people slaughtered and their homes set aflame." Then he reached up to grasp Elrond's shoulder "You must promise that you will make sure she stays… Promise me _Amparindo_"

Slowly Elrond nodded "I promise"

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><p><em><strong>March T.A. 3019<strong>_

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><p><em>If the Evenstar sails, Arda will fall to the Shadow; all will come to darkness, the people slaughtered and their homes set aflame…You must promise that you will make sure she stays… Promise me Amparindo<em>

Elrond felt the colour drain from his face as words two ages said rang in his mind. "I promised…" He whispered "Elros foresaw all of this, I promised him I would let her stay." He staggered to his feet, clutching at the desk and then the window frame

_Must call her back, must make her return_

Desperately he sought through his mind for anything he could use to turn Arwen's course eastward again.

One vision of the future appeared, a thing he had repressed for days. A vision that showed the person in whom the Peredhil would be reunited. In desperation he called on the power of Vilya, and seeking Arwen's mind he threw the vision towards it with all the mental strength he could muster.

As the connection snapped he felt his knees buckle, desperately he tilted his head up, begging aloud "Valar, let her see and understand, bring her back to Rivendell for the sake of all Eru's children…"

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><p>"Tell me what you have seen."<p>

"Arwen!" he hastily swallowed the relief, preventing it from showing in his voice

His daughter stormed along the path "You have the gift of Foresight, what did you see?"

I looked into your future and I saw death." _Death, death whichever way you go daughter_. He hardened his gaze, glazing it with anger to hide his true feelings

"But there is also life" Barely a whispered breath, but with all her heart behind it. Then she marched up the steps, eyes burning in accusation "You saw there was a child, you saw my son!"

He turned away "That future was almost gone"

"But it is not lost"

_No_, he thought, _it is not lost. Thank you Elros for catching that fever… the dream released your power… Thank you my twin, for Seeing this and forcing me to promise… You have saved everyone…_

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><p><strong><span>Translations <span>**

**_Herumacil_ = Sword Master (Elros' nickname/ Epessë)**

**_Amparindo_ = One who learns lot from books (Elrond's nickname/Epessë)**

**Reveiws please**


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